Pure Tranquility is one of the “Sacred Yoga” series by Rainbeau Mars which also contains Pure Power, Pure Sweat, and Beginners Yoga. I think the entire set is excellent and each video contains a program that is unique enough to provide nice variety. Each video is filmed with a beautiful Hawaiian beach/ocean backdrop. Rainbeau performs the moves alone on the beach with a voice-over of the instructions. The approach in each of the Sacred Yoga videos embraces the mind/body emphasis and is similar in approach to Shiva Rea, Kripalu, and Erich Schiffman.

Pure Tranquility is a gentle, centering yoga series that mainly focuses on sitting postures, hip and shoulder openers, and twists. It is excellent just before bed, in preparation for meditation, or on a day when a gentle, compassionate approach is called for. I particularly like Rainbeau’s kind, affirming voice and directions. This video is appropriate for any level.

The Collage Catalog indicates that of the four tapes Pure Tranquility is the “least yoga-like”, which I think is misleading. If you think of Yoga in the purely physical sense, it is true that this video has less of the typical postures, (e.g. no sun salutations or downward dog). However, it is the most focused on mind/body balance, centering, and preparation for meditation, so in my mind, it is the most yoga-like.

Two minor knit-picks about all the videos in this series: (1) the phrase “enjoy your breath” is overused throughout all four videos, (2) each tape ends in shavasana, but there is very little time at the end of the video to relax before a jarring transition to advertisements for other exercise videos, complete with loud rock music. I dubbed a tape for my own use so I could get rid of this annoyance.

Michelle Clark